15 Books Everyone Should Read

Posted on May 17, 2017

This a complete list of popular classic books everyone should read before they die.

A good book can have greater influence on your life than anything else. It can broaden the horizons of your imagination and feed your lust for adventure, it can be the spark to an ever-burning flame and the birth of a new you. And when you don’t know what to adventure to drift off to, come back to this list of 15 books everyone should read throughout their lifetime.

Moby Dick by Herman Melville

Captain Ahab is the first one to spot the legendary Moby Dick, a whale that refuses to be captured and will always put up a fight. His obsession leads the ship’s crew in a destructive chase to capture Moby Dick.

The Odyssey by Homer

After the Trojan War, Odysseus is trying to make his way home, but will not reach for another 10 years. While his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus stave off suitors vying for Penelope’s hand and Ithaca’s throne, Odysseus battles his way back to his beloved ones.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

The Bennets, whose fortune won’t be inherited by their five daughters, are desperate to see them all married. Their eldest daughter Elizabeth meets Mr. Darcy, but her outspoken nature puts their relationship in danger.

The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri

This epic poem chronicles Dante’s journey to God, a detailed walk through hell, purgatory and paradise.

Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

Winston Smith, an employee at the Ministry of Truth, spends his days rewriting history and altering facts. To escape the eye of Big Brother, he starts writing a diary, a crime punishable by death.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Would-be writer Nick Carraway unintentionally moves in next-door to millionaire Jay Gatsby, who happens to live across the bay from his cousin Daisy. No one really knows who Gatsby is, but Nick quickly finds out that he is not living this close to Daisy by accident.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Jane Eyre is a young, orphaned girl who lives with her aunt and cousins, the Reeds, at Gateshead Hall. Her life of misery and oppression starts at her aunt’s house, and follows her wherever she goes, it seems.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Scout Finch tells the story of her father Atticus Finch, an attorney who hopelessly strives to prove the innocence of a black man unjustly accused of rape.

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

On the escape from his father’s beatings, Huckleberry Finn is joined by runaway slave Jim on an adventure down the Mississippi River.

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Darnay is running from his heritage as a French aristocrat in the years leading up to the French Revolution. Despite being captured on the eve of the Revolution, a man takes his place at the guillotine.

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Old Major, a prize-winning boar, gathers the animals of the Manor Farm for a meeting in the big barn. There, he tells them about a dream in which all animals live together without human oppression or control.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

When a plane carrying a group of British schoolboys is shot down over the Pacific. The boys find themselves stranded on a uninhabited island. As they try to organize for survival, their primary instincts take over, hindering them from becoming civilized.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

While the young and beautiful Dorian Gray takes everything he likes, a painting of him takes all the toll of his sins. After a living a life motivated by his desires alone, how will Dorian be able to face the painting, which has turned into everything ugly he has done?

Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift

Ship surgeon Lemuel Gulliver discovers unknown islands and strange civilizations after his ship loses route. Each time he is introduced to new philosophies and cultures that change how he sees the world.

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Count Dracula’s plot of moving to England in search for new blood is challenged by Professor Abraham Van Helsing and his group of men and women.